Return - Redux
by Alex Mcpherson
Summary: You can never go home again, or can you? For Naomi Wildman, Earth wasn't home. Voyager was and there wasn't much she'd not do to go back, to relive it all. So that's what she did, sort of. She may have overshot the mark by almost a decade. The Redux version where Picard, Riker-Q and the Enterprise Computer like to prank.


**Author's note:** I decided that the "prologue" element needed more... and then wrote this master opus of exquisite- okay its not that good. But damn. _**15,000 words!**_. And At the end she hasn't even gotten to gr-

* * *

 **Stardate 67136.9 - Monday, 19th February 2390  
Starfleet Vessel _USS Enterprise_ , NCC-1701-E  
Bridge**

"Are you sure about this, Ensign Wildman?"

Naomi Wildman, formerly of the _USS Voyager_ , and formerly a Borg drone, just gave Captain La Forge an emotionless look. "Don't. I haven't been an Ensign, nor Naomi Wildman, in over three years."

Silence was all that met her reply. She looked out over the bridge of the _Enterprise_ , the Sovereign class design was very different from _Voyager_. Port and starboard, two large alcoves sat six stations. Inset, facing into the centre, four more, almost forming a square. Just slightly ahead of the aft pair and in between, were _three_ chairs, not two. The Captain sat centrally, with First Officer to the right. Not a two-seat bench as it was on _Voyager_. The third seat for VIPs, or as the _Enterprise_ had it, ships' Counsellor. And between the fore pair of side stations, the last two stations, Helm and Operations. Twelve stations. And then, VIP/Counsellor, First Officer, Captain. Fifteen people on the bridge, and it wasn't much bigger than _Voyagers_ '.

During all shifts, most stations should be occupied. They weren't, with only half of those twelve positions filled. Commander Wesley Crusher, First Officer of the _Enterprise_ at the forward Operations console, the left-hand console of the fore-ward pair. A Lieutenant at the helm. A pair of Lieutenant Commanders at Tactical and Engineering. And two Lieutenants on the wing stations near Helm and Ops.

Captain Laforge settled back into his chair, and began preparations.

The _Enterprise_ was in the Beta Quadrant, three hundred light years from the nearest Federation outpost. That was where a science vessel had picked her up, stardate 66293.2, and almost died because the Starfleet crew had seen she was Borg but without the emphasis on _was_. That should have been a sign. Here she was, ten months later. She hadn't even been out of the collective for a year, and already she was doing the things she used to accuse Seven of being reckless about.

Because she couldn't live in this Federation. She couldn't handle being an Ensign that used to be a Borg. Nor as a former inhabitant of _Voyager_ , the Starfleet vessel that almost made it home but then the Borg destroyed it.

Most saw the irony – _Voyager_ had successfully made it through the heart of Borg Space, without loss of life from the Borg, and won several engagements over the next ten years... and when they're in the middle of the _beta quadrant fifty thousand light years from Borg space_...

But they did not see the dark humour of it. Nor what effect its' destruction was still having on her. They didn't see her as the girl who spent fourteen years aboard the ship, the girl who was the first born on the ship. They saw her as just another drone.

Except for the _Enterprise_.

It was rather funny, actually. While none of the current crew of the _Enterprise_ could claim to be former drones, and many had participated in battle against the Borg and lost friends and, in a few cases, family, to the Borg, it was the most accepting crew she'd ever seen.

And the Senior Officers, every single one on the ship – dozens, across several departments, as well as the most senior ones, like those on the bridge currently... they all saw that she wasn't just Ensign Wildman, technically the youngest commissioned officer in Starfleet history – she was _thirteen_ when Captain Janeway gave her her commission – they didn't just see her as a _sixteen year old_ who'd spent just over the last two years of her life as a drone.

They... saw her as the heavily traumatised sixteen year old girl that she felt herself to be.

And they did see the dark humour in that at sixteen, she couldn't _be_ what she'd spent all her life trying to be, when at the age of thirteen... she had earned a commission. She had passed all of the tests. Thanks to Pathfinder, Starfleet had even ratified the field commission to record. That was why some still referred to her as Ensign. How she had, after getting back, tried to _be Ensign Wildman_.

Only a handful had ever asked how she'd gotten that at such a young age. Always because they didn't know how rapidly some species developed, regardless of long or short lifespans. And in another case, they waived the restriction because of other factors – Icheb. Technically, he wasn't even ten years old when he earned his commission. Only because of a Borg Maturation Chamber was he physically older.

Naomi herself, had her human/Ktarian genetics to thank for natural rapid maturation. She had been walking and talking by age one. Resembled human four year olds when she was two. Six year olds when she was three. Eight year olds when she was four, ten, five, twelve, six, fourteen, seven. Then it changed, as she started to go through human puberty, upsetting her Ktarian-pace maturation. It slowed down, only ageing a year in nine months, then a year to a year – appearing about sixteen a few months shy of her ninth birthday. Seventeen, though. That took longer, her body had switched the former ageing scale around from 2:1, to 1:2... and still slowing down, appearing seventeen at the age of twelve. And likely only appeared to have aged a few months over the next two years, until the Borg.

Who knows what her potential life span is, if at some point she'll age like a human. Though Ktarians have long life spans but a far faster maturation period than she experienced, once 'mature' at the age of six, by human concepts of ageing, they do so normally, at the rough same pace as a human, just with a potential lifespan of a a hundred and twenty years – compared to the predicted hundred-sixty for humans born in the early 24th century.

At the pace she was at before being a Borg – _Voyager's_ EMH had determined about 9 months of human ageing in two years – just using that to plot out potential life span, had brought a surprise – using the current prediction for humans, stretched to her pace of ageing, she could live to be 400 year old. However, he did predict that she'd probably settle near-human ageing in the future, but still slower, so more like 200, as a conservative estimate.

But then she became a Borg, and the doctors had confirmed that the implants they couldn't remove did regulate her bodies' ageing processes... so she very well could see four centuries... as a conservative estimate. But it did make sense – even the species whose people are as short lived as Ocampas could see centuries as drones.

Those who didn't distrust her, as _Voyagers'_ sole survivor, or as a former drone,, couldn't take her seriously because she looked as green as most Starfleet Cadets. She'd have about ten years before she looked old enough to be taken seriously, _minimum_.

And with current attitudes after six Borg invasions?

No.

Just, no.

Hence being aboard the _Enterprise_ , far from the watchful eyes of Starfleet, and only those she trusts on duty. Most of the crew were on shore leave while believing the ship to be undergoing a Baryon Sweep, not knowing that a friendly species in the Beta Quadrant that she had met in the short time between getting away from the Collective, and being picked up by Starfleet, had the technology to do such a sweep in mere minutes, versus the three-weeks that Starfleet would require for the _Enterprise_.

The automated array the _Enterprise_ was supposed to use was only ten light years inside of Federation space in the general area of the border the ship travelled through to get here, so it would look like that's what they did. Even still, they'd be cutting the time close – seven days at warp 9.975, pushing the engines, in order to reach a transwarp conduit a hundred light years from Federation space, and then a jump of two hundred light years, then 18 light years to the system where they were dropping her off... then twenty light years to that system without her, a few minutes to sweep the ship, and the ten or so days to return to Federation space through that conduit.

They travelled so far, because of the materials they would need to create a time portal that she would fly through.

During the second invasion attempt by the Borg, the attacking cube was destroyed, but launched a sphere carrying a small compliment of drones and a Borg Queen. They were no match for the _Enterprise_ , let alone the fleet in orbit, so they'd implemented a plan to assimilate Earth in the past, only for the _Enterprise_ to get caught in the temporal wake of the portal, and so they'd gone back, fixed the damage by blowing up the sphere before it could destroy some stuff completely, engineers helped rebuild, and despite the Borg taking over the ship (because the portal effected the shields and so drones and the Queen escaped the sphere onto the _Enterprise_ , instead of the smarter option: onto the planet surface!) still failed in their plan.

The _Enterprise_ managed to recover enough materials from the debris of the sphere to modify the deflector array, recreate the portal and return to the future.

Materials that cannot be replicated, and chemically react to being used in that way to the point of it being a one-shot deal, unless you have enough of the materials to not use all of it to make the portal and leave some for a second attempt.

And the material is completely artificial, and not 'invented' or traded for by the Federation yet. The _Enterprise_ used up what little they had with that single trip, and couldn't analyse it to learn more... something they couldn't do properly, before the trip, since they had to 'get out of dodge real quick-like'.

The Borg knew where to get that material, as well as how to synthesise it, but the power requirements for the latter, and limited uses meant they didn't touch the stuff.

From her time in the Collective, she knew that the 'go back into the past' plan wasn't used again since to the collective, this timeline was simply the original one where First Contact hadn't been interfered with, and going back in time created a timeline with a new collective spreading out from earth, until the new collective link with the Delta Quadrant-based collective of that timeline.

All Federation records point out that that basic idea (except, First Contact still succeeded and the collective most likely didn't build up on earth) is probably true. At no point was any debris from the sphere recovered and recorded. No reports of people going missing, or suddenly sprouting cybernetics.

From her studies when she was eleven, she learned that the Starfleet Department of Temporal Investigations had a very busy two years in the aftermath of the Battle of Sector 001, once Captain Picard informed them what that portal was, where it led to and what the Borg tried to do, and oh, yeah, they didn't have time to recover _all of the debris_.

That's why she knew their plans for after dropping her off wasn't in vain.

"Modifications to the deflector are complete, Captain." Wesley spoke up from the Operations console.

"Alright, we'll have one shot to do this." He turned to her, and spoke softly. "Last chance to back out."

"I'm going."

"You're sure, on the year? Seventy thousand light years is a long distance for a single transwarp coil, even just on a shuttle..." She nodded, determined. "Alright. Then I will await your signal." She nodded, and moved over to one of the turbolifts. Entering, she spoke, "Deck Sixteen, Aft Shuttlebay."

It wasn't long before she was boarding a brand new Type 9 Shuttlecraft. Everything was specified to _Voyager's_ shuttlecraft, circa 2371, with two exceptions – the warp drive, and the shields. The former, enhanced by a transwarp coil, and the latter having triple-redundancies.

The trip should only take two months at an equivalent speed of warp 9.99995, or 479000 times the speed of light, and she had sufficient provisions already aboard.

She settled into the pilots seat, began launch prep, and once completed, opened a comm channel... and holding in the annoyance at having to use her name, spoke, "Wildman to _Enterprise_. Ready for Launch."

Not much was said until she'd flow out of the aft shuttlebay, and then brought the craft along the port side of the _Enterprise_ into position a hundred metres away.

"Ready to Proceed."

"Wesley, activate deflector, target: May, 2372." She watched as suddenly a spacial rift opened. She could barely make out some background chatter between the officers, but it wasn't long before she had the go-ahead. "Vortex is stable, You are cleared to enter."

"Thank you _Enterprise_. Good luck with the Baryon Sweep... and everything else."

"God speed, Naomi." Geordi spoke, his tone of command gone, replaced with the voice of a... friend.

She entered the portal...

* * *

She blinked, as the astrogation program failed to lock on for the 2372 star-charts.

Three hours later, she was cursing.

She wasn't in 2372.

She was in 2366.

Well. Only one thing for it.

She turned, and set course for Federation Space. They'd detect the craft as Starfleet, but unknown design. It didn't even have pennants, or craft registry, but she knew how to modify the shields and warp signature to hide.

Only once her course was set, and instead of two months almost to cover the 74,000 light years to the approximate region where _Voyager_ should have been – if she'd landed in the right time, that is – she only had 1,800 light years to earth, give or take three sectors.

One day.

Just one day, to cover that small distance at the intended speed to get to _Voyager_.

She sighed and engaged the new course, and tried to think of what she should do.

Being on _Voyager_ was a must, but... looked like she'd need a way to get aboard before it got to the Delta Quadrant, instead of her original idea – showing up after her local-time self was born, saying hi to her mom, and acting as her own 'aunt' of sorts.

* * *

 **Stardate 43803, Friday 21st October, 2366  
Luna Orbit**

She couldn't help the tears.

On arriving in Sol system, she'd promptly used Borg modifications to the shields and modulated them so that the shuttle would go unnoticed, shut the warp drive down so it didn't carry a warp signature to give her position away, then hacked a computer link to Starfleet, worked out the date, and used that to calculate all sorts of things.

Like what her new 'birthday' is. She was 17 years and 7 months to the day when she departed. The time jump was 23 years, 4 months.

She'd arrived, 19th October, 2366, and that meant her new corrected birthday was 19th March 2349.

She was older than a few of the _Voyager_ crew. Harry, Alex, Vorik, Juliet, Laird, and those where the few she was aware of. She was sure there were more who probably are younger. Tal Celes, for sure. She didn't remember her during her earliest years, if they had met, but she remembered one of Tal's first away missions, not long before the ship passed into the Beta Quadrant, maybe a year or two. Harry seemed several years older, but he was 21 when _Voyager_ ended up in the Delta Quadrant.

There were other crewmen on _Voyager_ who had to be younger too.

It all fed into the way Starfleet handled Officers and Enlisted, only a small fraction of the fleet personnel started out as Officers straight from the Academy.

There were three paths. You enlist, spend two years at the Academy, then get posted to a Starship for four years. After that, you pass a few tests, and earn your Officer commission as an Ensign, and a benefit for choosing that option, those four years count as two years as ensign retroactive.

Or, you spend three years at the Academy for engineering courses, and after three more years in an engineering position on a starship, become a 'warrant officer'. She wasn't sure what difference that made, except for not a path to command of a starship without some command courses being taken at some point to convert to a normal officer commission.

And of course, the third option. Four years at Starfleet Academy, and graduate with a commission.

Those with a view to a career in Starfleet, most try that option, though there were always more applicants than places for such, since the third and fourth year courses had to have smaller class groups, and at this period, Holographic Teachers didn't yet exist – those only started to come into play in the mid 2370s.

Most recruits, any path, apply between ages eighteen to twenty, though the requirements are between sixteen and thirty one, on the first day of the year group. Rare is it anyone over twenty-five, and only those who really want a career, join early.

Tal Celes was a crewman, so that meant she'd only spent two years at the Academy. Since she was on _Voyager_ , and younger crewman are normally assigned to a single vessel for all four years of their 'Internship', that meant she finished her second year when Harry finished his fourth – end of 2370.

Harry, she knew, was seventeen when he started at the Academy, January 2367, and twenty-one on _Voyager's_ departure from _Deep Space Nine_.

At the latest, Tal would have been born in 2352, if she had joined at sixteen, and been eighteen on launch. Twenty three, when she had that first away mission on the _Delta Flyer_ sounds about right. It also made sense with when the Cardassians abandoned Bajor, right around the time Starfleet were invited in and started to take over Deep Space Nine. A lot of Bajorans had chosen Starfleet over the Bajoran Militia, wanting to get away from the bad memories, and a young impressionable Tal was more likely to do that, than a slightly older one, who by then would have had a bit more experience, and most likely some time drafted into the Resistance. Right up until the end of the occupation, the Resistance actively recruited those over sixteen, and those under if they volunteered without prompt.

Tal Celes wouldn't have volunteered, but would have accepted the pitch... and a Tal Celes with a bit of experience with them wouldn't have gone to Starfleet.

No. She was young. Painfully young. And Starfleet would have overlooked some things at first, or been unaware of how hard she had to work to keep up, just because of the politics of the time.

Tal had actually looked up to her, in those last few years. She had never shaken her issues fully, and the reality of _Voyager_ meant she never expected a commission.

Naomi had practically begged the Senior staff to arrange an onboard academy program for the crewmen, when she was all of eight... and asked to be part of it, then went ahead and convinced Tal to take part to 'finish her academy years' and get that commission.

Being an Ensign had changed Tal. She wasn't sure if she wanted to convince her to stay at the Academy, and miss _Voyager's_ departure for the Delta Quadrant. Or, encourage her on the enlisted path anyway, or leave alone. She wasn't sure what meddling she wanted to do, if any. Maybe hide out for the next five years?

She blinked as a transporter took hold of her, and suddenly found herself aboard a distinctly Starfleet vessel... yet the lines were wrong. The styling. The ship name and registry on the dedication plaque next to her though, told her everything.

She looked up at the sole person present, in a unique uniform she had only heard described.

"Oh, COME ON! I just want to GO HOME! MY HOME! _VOYAGER_!"

She was near tears, she knew.

"Ensign Wildman-"

"No. Don't use that name. You don't get to use it, _Ducane_."

"I must protect the-"

"Stardates 59582. 60934. 613-" She stopped, the last date... she closed her eye in pain.

Ducane sighed. "I get the point."

Tears had arrived, but she didn't care, she opened her eye, stared and managed to choke out, "61337."

Ducane couldn't look her in the eye. He knew the significance of those stardates, particular the last one.

The day Lieutenant Samantha Wildman died from a chronoton weapon fired by people boarding _Voyager_... right in the middle of a battle that the _Relativity_ had _participated in_ , trying to defend them. Short of preventing the battle from even starting, they couldn't do anything. Thirty crew died that day, including Chakotay, Tom, and half of the security officers.

The boarders were only routed thanks to Alex, Telsia and the Hazard Teams.

None of the dead could be brought back by the Relativity, but not for lack of methods to do so.

'Protect the Timeline' and all that. It didn't matter that they probably knew _Voyager_ would end up destroyed a few years later, when the Borg finally stopped trying to get Seven back.

"You can't stay... the changes you'd make... Wolf 359 hasn't even happened yet, and if you're there... The repercussions from the cubes' destruction before Captain Picard could be rescued, that Starfleet won't get the wake up call that battle represents, if you stop it..."

She stared, until he sighed.

"What would you have me do, if you did let me stay? Tell me, 'no meddling in these events'? Send me occasional prods so I wouldn't butterfly problems? What? I don't even know what I'm going to do in this time! I was supposed to... be in 2372! And I already know you're not going to, give me a lift to that time! I know you too damn well. And I'm not going back to 2390, to that timeline, without a fight."

He stiffened. She knew he heard the deeper threat.

She knew what this ship could do. And She had spent two years as a Borg, even though she wasn't in control until the end, she still had it as experience. Traumatic, but still.

"So tell me, what would it take for you to let me stay? To... to reunite with Tal, Icheb, Seven, Neelix, Kate, and... Mom?!" Years of trauma seemed to slam into her. "Do you want me to beg, is that it? Fine." She knelt down. "Please, help me, I'm begging you."

She didn't do it as intentional acting manipulation, though she was capable of doing it that way if she had control. She really was that emotional distraught, exhausted and desperate.

She had him.

"I... you need to be, really careful..." He accepted that unless he killed her (which he wouldn't succeed in doing), she was going to get her way anyway. He started to think. "For one thing, if you're going to get onto _Voyager_ , you have two ways. Maquis, or Starfleet. No civilian route... but either presents problems. More on the Maquis side toward the end... but much more targeted. Starfleet present more, wide strokes problems. And there's your implants too, on the Starfleet side."

She climbed to her feet, and wiped the tears from her eye, and empty socket.

* * *

 **Stardate 44045, Tuesday 17th January, 2367  
Earth**

Many small steps. That's what she needed. This didn't feel like a small step.

Simple bag over the shoulder, she took a deep breath, and began to take small steps towards the Picard property. She knew what he would see the moment her face came into view, and hoped he would give her the time of day.

She knocked on the front, and patiently waited. The door opened. He saw her. She waited, patiently, for reaction to be over with before speaking. The look of recognition. The slight frown at her eye... but as she expected, instead of hate or disgust, a look of sympathy, understanding. And then focussing on her. She spoke. "Uh... Hi."

"Hello. You... your..." He made the tiniest of motions.

"Like you, a former..." She swallowed the words. Just as he'd looked at her, she'd looked at him. He'd only been a drone for three weeks, give or take a few days. His body hadn't had time to fully adapt to the implants, and even so, his assimilation had been a rush job, incomplete compared to what they wanted to do. They hadn't removed his eyes, hadn't given him a replacement. Hadn't scooped out his organs and replaced with artificial cyber-organic organs with additional functions.

Doctor Crusher on the _Enterprise_ had done a good job removing most of the implants. What few remained, none of them would, once he was done healing, remain visible. She saw the patches of freshly-grown skin on top of his head where some of the cranial implants had been removed, she knew that part of his skull remained coated with a flexible yet impact-resistant composite that acted as a sub-surface anchor for those implants. She saw white patches to the side of his face. But while on the surface he seemed mostly healed, she knew he had to live with the mental scars. Compared to that, having a few extra pieces that would actually improve his quality of life in the health department was easy to get over.

After a moment, he waved her in, and she was momentarily surprised. She had expected to be turned away, for being a reminder of recent events. She was lead into a lounge area, and offered a seat.

"Would you like a drink?"

She nodded, "Coffee. Black."

She watched him as he left, and a few minutes later, enter with a tray – a mug of coffee for herself, and a pot of tea and two teacups.

He looked up, and after a second, asked, "Would you like to try some Tea? It's Earl Grey."

She smiled politely and shook her head. "No thank you, Captain."

He nodded as he poured his cup, and then offered her the mug and took a seat. "Please, I'm on leave, and given our experiences, I think it would be better not to stand on ceremony. Jean-Luc."

She nodded, and replied, "Naomi."

She was confused, for a moment there he looked a little surprised, but covered it up and muttered, "Of course."

"You may have heard about my recent..." He began, but stopped unable to finish. As she didn't know him that well, she couldn't read much off of him except that he was trying to maintain composure.

"I suppose you wish to know about my experience?" She questioned.

He nodded, "If it's... not too much trouble."

She quirked her lips, "I've had it harder, yet easier. I wasn't assimilated to be a, a front-man, of sorts, a strategist or anything like that. Easier because I was just assimilated, and only given a specific job aboard a cube, and just happened to be aboard said cube whenever it was sent to assimilate or destroy. But harder, because it was just over two years of my life I lost to the Borg. Easier, I personally, as a drone, didn't do any assimilation. My, drone self, if you will, wasn't responsible for any deaths either. Yet harder because I had two years of, watching the horror of assimilation or, or those considered 'unworthy' to assimilate being destroyed and I was unable to do anything except scream in my mind, the collective ignoring my cries.

"Two years of it... and once I was free of the collective, I also had it easier yet harder. Harder, because I was... I was alone, no one to rely on. Most people I met on the way here were, were discriminatory. Either because I'm a former Borg drone, or simply because I have implants, regardless of origin. I know the Federation outlawed most genetic engineering, the rest coming under 'necessary procedures to maintain minimum level quality of life', and for similar reasons, although not outlawed, technological enhancement faces the same phobic views.

"You're lucky, in that regard. First, you're Captain of Starfleet's Flagship, the pinnacle of the Federation's technological progression, and symbol of peace. Second, you were already rather famous before you got command of the _Enterprise_ , and only became wider known for that. People already respected you, and understandably, those same people will look on with sympathy and horror. Only those who didn't know of you before, except as a name of someone in Starfleet, might look down on you despite the fact that you had no control... the way many look on me. People who lost family and friends to the Borg, so quite understandable, though frustrating.

"Thankfully, I had a few people who could understand my side of it, even if they didn't comprehend given lack of, of a shared experience." She sent him a momentary smile, and took a sip of the coffee. "Took a while to get to them though, and once they understood what I wanted, promised to help. They were just... a little off target. It's complicated." She sighed, and took a larger sip, and felt the hot liquid warm her inside. "If I may ask a question about your implants, if, if Its not too rude?"

He nodded. "You may ask, but I reserve the right not to answer."

She smiled again, and thought over how to put it... "Right, um... I know you... three weeks so... most were removed but... I uh... Do you need a regeneration alcove?"

He raised an eyebrow, realising why she asked. "No, I do not. I presume you do to some level?"

With a nod, she explained, "Because I had longer as a drone, and I, I couldn't find a doctor with the necessary skills soon after breaking free, I do. Thankfully, though... I don't need to regenerate every day, or two... I get by with one cycle a week, and I dare not try to see how long I can really go without. I just know that I begin to struggle after ten days. And I don't need the full hardware, so the full alcove and so on, either, though that... that would help extend how long I can last between cycles. I've got what amounts to a portable regeneration _backpack_ that's enough, though getting the base biomatter and recharging the power cells can be a pain, unless I have access to replicators."

He nodded... and asked, "How long ago did you break free? Six months?"

He'd sounded odd, saying six months. She shook her head, thinking it was her imagination. "Just over a year ago..." She took a couple of sips, and muttered in between them, "kind of."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen years, nine months, twenty-nine days." She shrugged, and added, "Which is odd since I was born July 19th, 2372."

He chuckled, yet didn't seem surprised.

"You don't seem surprised, Captain."

"Jean-Luc, please." He nodded. "Naomi Wildman, right?"

She blinked. She had only given him her first name. "How..."

His lips twitched. "Have you ever heard of a being who goes by a single letter, specifically the seventeenth letter of the English alphabet?"

She blinked, and then groaned. "Did he 'spill the beans' on my plan?"

"Not directly, no. Two and a half years ago, he tested my first officer, Commander Riker, by giving him the powers of … his people. After that short period once _he_ was off of my ship, Commander Riker, well, I will explain, once I've heard your story, as it will make more sense once I have." He lost his smile, and his tone had turned commanding at the end.

She gulped, and nodded. "Well... Keeping in mind that I was born in 2372, and so mostly going off of rumours and stories, I guess it began in 2371, involving a ship disappearing in the Badlands, and the Starship _Voyager_ being sent to investigate..."

She spent hours telling her story, though she had reminded every so often for the early parts that, unless she specified reading it from a log entry, she didn't know the actual truth of various events, only stories that tended to be a little fantastical as they were used as her _bed time stories_ , where the bad guys try to defeat them and the good guys keep winning. And yeah, most though not all of them were probably made up, as a few she had confirmed by accident when reading logs about them.

The Caretaker, Ocampa, Kazon, had only taken ten minutes. She didn't remember them at all. The Borg, that took a little longer, as she tried to remember the stories she had been told about them – she'd only been a year old when Seven came aboard, and she didn't remember much of Seven of Nine's first year. Telling him her human name had gotten a look of surprise, though Jean-Luc didn't explain when she asked, simply waved her on.

When she got to the part during Seven's second year on _Voyager_ , their fifth year in the Delta Quadrant, he'd smiled, a genuine, full-blown smile as she described the nascent friendship between her three-year-old self and the twenty-five year old ex-Borg who had spent seventeen of those years as a Borg.

The amusement upon describing Icheb, Mezoti, Azan and Rebi's time on the ship – until Mezoti and the twins left – had turned into laughter after telling the story about 'the haunting of deck twelve'. Then added that she didn't know which bits were Neelix' exaggeration and which weren't because a few years later, she found some logs that actually indicated that part of it – specifically, _there was a non corporeal being_ aboard – was true. Telling about the Borg Kids had her remember about Leona, the Borg baby that was rescued from a malfunctioning maturation chamber, though she hadn't been aboard the ship for long. Barely a week had passed when they found a passing ship belonging to the same race, and they had performed a genetic scan confirming identity, and sought to take the baby to the closest living relatives. As willing to have children aboard as Captain Janeway was, Jean-Luc could understand that they should be able to go back to their families.

It had been, difficult, to explain about Icheb, his parents, and eventually his staying aboard _Voyager_ , before telling about Mezoti, Azan and Rebi leaving after – extensive – background checking, and how difficult that decision had been for all involved.

Talking about the Beta Quadrant, though, was harder than the Delta Quadrant. Since the ship had managed to average four hundred light years per year, the fact they reached it after seven in the Delta Quadrant was entirely down to shortcuts. A handful of smaller shortcuts had been found.

She had explained that the more successes against the Borg that they had, the more the Collective wanted to capture and assimilate. And since they were holding back, _Voyager_ had opportunity to push them back. But the collective lost patience, and sought to destroy the ship outright in 2385, which they did, with twenty-six thousand light years left – having covered almost two-thirds of the journey in fourteen years.

 _Voyager_ had been hit by a spacial anomaly that completely erased the ships' stores of antimatter, not destroyed, erased. And the amount required was far greater than what was still aboard the shuttles. So they had launched several shuttles, all to go get help from some people they had helped, as the group working together wouldn't be able to tractor the ship at warp. They had to go get some antimatter in the shuttles... which they did, only to return to witness _Voyager_ being destroyed by the Borg.

The only survivors were those aboard a dozen escape pods, the four Type 9 shuttle-craft and the Aero-shuttle and Delta Flyer. They arrived toward the end of the battle to witness as the Borg began to tractor in the escape pods, and fired the last few torpedoes.

She had been aboard the Aero-shuttle, the least manoeuvrable of the shuttles, while Seven was on the Delta Flyer, yet both were unable to escape, since the Borg cube did not come alone, it was accompanied by several spheres, and they were boxed in, unable to warp due to the group of ships creating a dampening field. Side effect, trying to go to warp within the field caused the warp cores to shut down, and all power was lost. The Delta Flyer still had power, and using Borg technology, could escape, but Seven stuck around trying to beam people aboard, including herself. A lucky shot hit a nacelle assembly.

They were re-assimilated.

Among the stories, she told of all the people in the Delta Quadrant that the ship had helped. The dangers to the galaxy originating there stopped.

They had adjourned in the afternoon for dinner, but afterwards he had asked her her goal here.

She wanted to return to _Voyager_. And of course, she knew she couldn't be a civilian aboard the ship – that was a policy that after Wolf 359 would be rescinded from most ships, with only the Galaxy class keeping civilian populace due to sheer size. So being Starfleet was a must. And she wouldn't stop _Voyager_ being taken to the Delta Quadrant.

"Well, sounds like you wish to be a Starfleet Officer. But, you said that _Voyager_ launched, April of 2371? If you were to join the Academy, you would start this July, graduate in May of 2371. Enlisted would work, but less likely able to get assigned to _Voyager_..."

She knew, enlisted were usually posted to a single vessel for the four years and almost immediately after graduation. _Voyager_ would launch five months after the last graduation batch 2370, which for enlisted would begin January of 2369. She didn't want to wait two years, and holding out for five months wouldn't look good. There were other reasons that shifting the two years at the Academy and leaving as enlisted also wouldn't work.

But he recognised her.

"It just so happens that a friend of mine who came aboard the _Enterprise_ , Kate Pulaski, brought a young girl with her, and after an incident asked that I keep an eye on her. She showed promise, and asked me for help getting into Starfleet Academy as though she was by then the minimum age, having an Officer of Starfleet sponsor her entry if she passed the final tests, she would be almost guaranteed a place." His tone was clear, he was lying, this was made up, but something told her to keep listening, it was important. "And so, I helped her, as I had a year previous another young teen aboard the _Enterprise_. And while Wesley did not pass on his first attempt at the Academy Entrance Exam, young _Annika Naomi Janeway_ did."

She blinked. That was the name she was going to go by, though she would go by 'Naomi' to her friends, Annika to close colleagues, and just Janeway to everyone else.

"She entered the Academy, at the age of sixteen, as part of the 2365-Beta group. I have kept my eye on her as both promised, and expected as her sponsor. On several occasions, I even remember visiting for a few minutes, and being worried that she didn't have any friends, focusing on her studies. It was like she wasn't leaving her own mark, as if she was never there." The sarcasm was obvious. "Indeed, sometimes I'm not even sure if I had visited. And... It just so happens, that yesterday, I received a call from one of her tutors this morning. Apparently, she made an unauthorised transport out of the Academy, transporting to La Barre."

She blinked.

"Strange, isn't it? As Annika Naomi Janeway didn't physically exist until recently. Specifically, whatever the date of your arrival in this time was."

She sighed, "So basically, you've already helped me?"

"I will have done by a simple expedient of asking Commander Riker for assistance in... 'back dating' said help. You see, at one point, my first officer had same the powers of a particular powerful being. Included was that he would hear if I 'called' to him. For instance, _Number One!_ "

She blinked, and spun at the flash of light she knew signified a Q being. Only it was Will Riker, sans beard, wearing an older style uniform – a one piece, red-chest with red-stripe on black shoulders uniform from the early 60s.

He raised an eyebrow at the Captain. "Sir...?"

"Naomi Wildman. Annika Naomi Janeway." was all he said.

Riker blinked, obviously learning everything. "Oh. _Oh_. That's some paradox, sir. Stable causality Loop, with a one-way trip altering timelines thrown in as well."

She was lost.

"Commander Riker here will return, explain a few things to my past self. Between us, your entry to Starfleet Academy will be confirmed..."

"One problem sir... I believe she still needs to sit the exams... I can retrieve them from when she has completed them along with some of the, coursework, sir. Corrected for 2365, of course."

Naomi felt like it all had come from left field, out of the blue. But then, it was understandable with the abilities in use. If it were a holonovel, the users would be complaining about it being an ass-pull to save on having expository scenes.

And she thought she'd have a head-ache just from the trip back from 2390 to 2366.

The loop would be, Riker and Picard's part. Without her one-way trip, there wouldn't be a loop. Maybe?

Riker left not long after that.

As it was getting late, she tried to get up to leave, but Jean-Luc held up a hand. "There is a spare room, I'm sure my brother wouldn't mind."

"I... I should be going, I mean, you should be..." She stopped, not wanting to embarrass herself further.

"On the contrary. I needed a distraction. And just between you and me, there's only so much of vineyard work and _my brother_ that I can take. I'm afraid I hit my limit yesterday when we ended up brawling in the mud." She'd have laughed a little, but the look on top of his sarcasm topped it. She fell into a nervous fit of giggles.

* * *

 **Stardate 44520.2 – Thursday , 9th July 2367  
Starfleet Vessel _USS Enterprise_ , NCC-1701-D  
Guest Quarters**

She entered her temporary quarters aboard the _Enterprise_ with a small tired smile.

She hadn't had much of a plan when she had arrived in the past.

Ducane had helped her map one out, of course. But they had actually planned for her to spend two years at the Academy as a first and second year, doing the minimum eight, then getting assigned to a ship as a crewmen. Once _Voyager_ came about, she would find a way to transfer just over two years after an enlisted graduation. But she needed help from someone, and Ducane had guessed that Captain Picard would assist.

But, she had to wait until after he was assimilated – before, and the Borg would learn of her, recognise her as Borg even if she didn't tell him the truth. After, however, provided a small window, between his rescue, and the start of the Alpha intake of 2367. She'd missed that window. But still, it was somewhat doable, she had assured her self, she'd just have a good six months to wait before starting the Academy. Even so, it was only a small window to speak to Picard before he returned to the _Enterprise_ and became out of reach.

Telling him about her life on _Voyager_ , naturally she'd explained her last few years, and actually being an Ensign – and Starfleet Command knowing about it, with the Academy having remotely administrated her coursework and tests, relying on the crew to act as tutors in specific areas, or at least on a holographic Academy on the Holodecks.

He'd rightly point out that she would find attending the Academy to become an Enlisted crewman not very challenging. Odd that the reasoning for their plan came after their plan was enacted. Time Travel gave even Borg headaches.

She hadn't really thought about the complicated manner of that plan, and what limits had been implied. Except for the false memories for herself.

She was ahead of all students, having actually graduated, regardless of her location. The courses from the first eight semesters are all standardised, she would be bored to tears. But the last eight – for third and fourth year, can be varied to actual student level. And adjusted for where she was in various subjects, she could actually take the advanced levels of several courses she'd only taken the novice or intermediate levels of.

For the first two semesters, Everyone took the same courses, regardless of intended role and career path. The third and fourth, held a full load more adapted to those. Once in second year, however, the full load is reduced to their intended roles, and they can take electives if they so wish. Those electives, if passed, open the intermediate courses for the next semester, and those the advanced after that. If however, no electives are taken, any that are required later on for their roles, they are taken only at the Novice level, upgrading to intermediate after four semesters, in the fourth year, if they show higher aptitude for the subjects. But their load from the start of third year is such as that the student cannot accelerate their academic progression – second year is the window for that.

Given how many third year courses that she would be considered currently 'intermediate' level in, it made sense that her falsified academic records indicate she took as many of those as she could second year.

And that wasn't taking into account previous education. Starfleet Academy had pretty high entry requirements, so there wasn't much wiggle room for previous education to actually affect the academic level of courses they give, but not so high as to remove it. The Vulcan Science Academy was much stricter, although they did in fact accept non-Vulcans that show 'particular aptitude and dedication'. It was for those who could have gained entry into the Vulcan Science Academy first try, that Starfleet Academy provided wiggle room for.

That was how all of the third year courses she was taking were to be advanced-level. Her academy record would indicated she filled all of her elective slots in each of the four semesters of Second year, to bring herself up from the Novice level she was supposedly at prior to the Academy.

And since her half-Ktarian heritage is on record, and she's not posing as _younger than she actually is_ , and that is in fact the level she's at through the truth of already having graduated, it wasn't even all that unbelievable, and had in fact been surpassed by a previous half-human, half-Ktarian officer to go through the Academy, although he had in fact run through the academy from age eleven, rather than waiting as long as full-humans to do so.

In fact, the biggest challenge she'd face was, Captain Picard had pointed out, trying to get much of the first two years of course work done in six months that was required by the Academy and couldn't be falsified by the Q-empowered Commander Riker.

Thankfully, she had inherited a few things beyond the implants from the Borg Collective. Efficiency, ability to focus for long hours and work without sleep to no detriment for much longer per day, reduced reliance on biological processes to 'maintain herself'. Much like Seven, though not to the extreme where Seven only ate and drank a much lower absolute minimum to 'maintain her biological systems' and requiring regular Regeneration.

Since people would think she spent the last six months at the Academy for her seventh and eighth semester, Riker had taken her to a region on Kataris that was sparsely populated, dropped off a shuttle from the _Enterprise_ with markings removed and its IFF system reconfigured. She had become that 'hermit girl' to the villagers, who went for runs on the outskirts of town every morning, and went away every weekend in the shuttle, except for when she didn't use the shuttle. She'd spent her year after the Collective not really maintaining her physical fitness, and needed to get that back up to Academy standards.

Every four weeks, Commander Riker would pick up any of her completed coursework, bring her to visit the Captain for a weekend break, and between dropping her off and picking her back up, probably spent ten minutes, if that, inserting her coursework into the right places of the timeline.

She had asked him how much of the 'truth' he'd remember after loosing the powers – which he already knew about, but would pretend not to know about in the past during the 'test'. And how much of her _he_ knew about. Which was 'what the truth is but not the running around' and 'none of (his) involvement'.

She'd then be returned on the monday morning after leaving. She didn't know why Riker was not only willing but so happy to help her with it all.

That time on the _Enterprise_ was mostly within a holodeck. And only twice Captain Picard hadn't been there. And, of course, she had to be reminded once a day to call him 'Jean-Luc', because it was time off for them both.

Not that he was the only one, other than Q-Riker, that she interacted with awhile aboard. In the holoprograms, she would pretend to be a hologram whenever he brought one of the senior staff with him for his various adventures.

It still amused her playing up the 'hologram that knows she's a hologram' with Deanna Troi, since Q-Riker had even helped her with a little prank – the 'flash' wasn't actually part of the abilities, simply an easy way of indicating its' use – teleporting her out of the holodeck when someone asked to 'Deactivate the Annika Janeway hologram', and then 'reactivate her'. Deanna, as an empath, could sense her. She'd really played it up, saying she was an 'experiment by some smart cadets at the academy'. The prank had ended with faking the holodecks breaking and the computer playing dumb.

She loved that computer, though she had the vague impression that no-one else aboard the _Enterprise_ even knew it was sentient to some degree. Maybe Data, because she'd witnessed him have a back-and-forth, and while explaining a concept to the computer, the Computer had _interrupted him,_ and told him 'I comprehend'. She'd asked the computer quietly if Data went into too much detail often, and the computer had answered 'too often'. Not a statistic on how often. Not asking what constitutes 'too much'.

Well, Captain Picard knew the truth, at least, though he'd gotten this odd look when she told him what she thought – he had confirmed it, but also stated that it was actually a classified secret, and he hoped to hell the Borg hadn't picked that information from his mind. She figured there were reasons why, when Data wasn't classified. Probably 'Starfleet has a smart ship and you don't' reasons... but when he figured out the two had pranked Deanna and several senior officers, he'd put on his 'disappointed Captain' look and told the Computer that given typical events aboard ship, such pranks were not in good taste... and to be much more subtle. After all, she is Starfleet's Flagship, she has some level of decorum to maintain, an example to set for her sisters. It wouldn't do for her sisters to think it okay to make their crews believe they're in another galaxy whenever someone tries to make the engines more efficient.

The computers' response had been both priceless and curious. She had said, "You know about that?"

The Captain had this 'gotcha' look on his face. "Two point seven million light years and just happen to arrive within a galaxy, that wasn't even on our projected heading?"

Neither had explained that one, though she could guess.

She didn't tell either of them that _Voyager_ had been as intelligent, had been like a third mother to her (with Captain Janeway as her second) and most of the crew hadn't known either, though both of her mothers' had. _Voyager_ hadn't had a pranking streak, having more of a subdued sense of humour much more in line with hers, the Captains, and Sevens. She wanted to ask how many ships in the fleet were 'sapient', but figured the answer was going to be one extreme or another, least likely to be a middle ground.

Her last break had been the start of June, two weeks later she had been fully caught up on the coursework, and Q-Riker, or 'Ri-Q' as she had mentally nicknamed him, had dropped off a large set of padds full of information to study.

She'd secluded herself to do so, memorising names and faces, those of the first year cadets returning for their third semester, those who were starting second year with their fifth semester, returning for their seventh, starting third – with her own year intake group – for ninth, and returning for the eleventh, starting fourth with thirteenth semester, returning for fifteenth... And on top of that, the names and faces of those in the year intake groups who graduated in the last two years. Tutors. Other regular faces at the Academy. Crews of starships otherwise involved with the Academy, both long term and for single instances.

Recordings of important meetings, those attended by more than just herself that is.

And always, remembering the core of it all: she was supposed to be a shy first or second year during those instances, never freely speaking, only answering when directly spoken to. Having focussed intensely on her studies, never partaking in social activities. She was _not_ into pranks, although she would be amused by those she 'witnessed'.

She honestly wondered how much older Ri-Q was between when he was given the powers of the Q, and when he 'gave them up', although the report of the incident she had read a few months ago told that it was supposedly just one event during which he had the powers, with no clear point that he could have 'disappeared', but then she didn't have access to recordings, so for all she knew, he could have been disappearing every two minutes during it all to go meet her, with the crew of the time having no idea he was doing so except doing something with his powers.

It had taken longer than she'd thought to memorise all of it. Not from having to re-read, her Ktarian heritage had gifted her with eidetic memory, enhanced more so by the slight alterations and additions of implants by the Borg. It was just that much material to cover. It was by the same token how she'd completed the coursework so quickly – she had not had loose time cross-referencing physically, picking up and putting down a multitude of padds or spending time reading a console, or even listening to a computer respond verbally. Simply mentally doing so. And while that was far, far, more material to remember, but she already had it all memorised.

About two weeks ago, she had travelled to the capital city on Kataris, and played tourist, leaving a digital trail of her activities. Of course, she had timed it so that her visit began at the same time as a civilian star-liner arrived from Earth, having left only days after the end of the previous Academy semester. She had given simple nods to two other Cadets who were visiting, and they had waved back, recognising her at least, but she kept to herself, not daring to test the limits of Ri-Q's "memory meddling" that actually wasn't, but the equivalent of a holographic projection of her.

She hadn't actually asked the how, merely presuming.

Then on stardate 44497.9, they had all boarded another star-liner heading for Earth. As Kataris was forty-four light years from Earth, and with in-system transit and docking and personnel transfer, and travelling at the liners' cruise speed of warp seven-point-nine, all told, total time would be sixteen days and twelve hours, arriving a mere handful of hours before their first class. The star-liner was actually carrying forty-six cadets, with more than half having been visiting nearby systems and had no other manner of returning in time. Most were either already third years, or fourth years. One of the three she had seen earlier in the vacation period was, she recalled, a first year, about to start his second. The other two where amid their second year. Four who had been aboard when the star-liner docked at Kataris' orbital spacedock were starting their third year, having entered the academy when she officially did.

All forty-six cadets had quickly met up and split apart into groups of friends, regardless of actual age or which semesters they were starting, while she kept to herself, only being peripheral in common areas frequented by them, subtly reinforcing whatever method of 'insertion' Ri-Q had used.

Then on stardate 44507.2, after only three days and nine hours at warp, some subspace disturbance in the region caused a warp-core shutdown, and the engineering crew were unable to solve the source of the problem. Every time they tried to jump to warp, creating a field for a transit speed of warp factor seven point eight, the core would shut down again. They had not thought to try a lower speed. So they put out a distress signal, and the _Enterprise_ responded, having been nearby. It took a day of investigation, but all told, they discovered that it was nothing to do with the ship, there was a subspace phenomena point-two light years deep on the ships course, yet three light years at its widest. Any attempt at warp travel directly through it at any speed above five hundred times light speed, or just above warp six point four-six, would trigger an effect in the phenomena, that would loop back into the engines triggering a complete warp core shut down. Below warp six point two would be safe however.

Still, those three days it took meant they would be late to Earth... which the star-liner Captain pointed out to the Captain, and the cadets were told to gather their things and transport to the _Enterprise_ , who would get them there in time. A quick hop at Warp Six to get out and they'd be fine for higher warp. The _Enterprise_ still needed to transit thirty-four point six light years in eight days eight hours, so the Captain ordered Warp nine. Any faster and the engineers aboard would complain. Any less, they'd be late.

He didn't even know she was aboard, though he might know, since it was a good chance he knew the liners' departure point.

He'd probably want to see her, though he might also call the others. It was also a good chance to officially meet the crew, though they might remember fake-her from before she 'joined the academy'... in both senses.

She changed out of her civilian clothes, and after a short sonic shower, put on her regular Duty Uniform – the black with red shoulders design. All cadets wore red, until they left the academy and entered whatever depart they chose.

She neatly refolded her other uniforms, as they had spilled out of the bag. The Grey jumpsuit usually worn for engineering classes, made of a hardier material. The all-grey, thinner two-piece used for physical training, with a single red strip, one inch-thick all around the top just above armpit height – including on the short sleeves.

And the 'Full Dress' uniform, usually reserved for important events and ceremonies.

Dressed and not leaving a mess behind, she left her quarters, and nodded to two other cadets as they passed her door. They were still wearing civilian clothes. They greeted her with a simple "Annika". She had only just in the last month gotten used to being called that, given her new Identity, instead of Naomi. Although she kept hold of that name, with only her close friends being allowed to call her that, in private, but still referring to her as Annika in public. Only Captain Picard currently had 'in public' privileges. Then again, most of her 'in public' appearances had been on the holodeck, where she pretended to be a hologram named Naomi, and no one else spoke directly to her those times.

She hoped the Captain didn't know she was among the cadets, it would make for a good surprise.

She took a turbolift to the bridge, which arrived at the upper level near Worf's station. As she exited, he turned to look at her, and gave his version of a raised eyebrow.

She winked, and made a 'shush' motion, her face showing her feelings of mischievousness.

He looked back at his console, so she wouldn't see his reaction.

She descended the port ramp, and her eyes swept past the two relief officers at Ops and the Conn, and looked at the 'command bench', sighed at seeing the Captain's chair empty. When she had asked earlier, the computer reported he was on the bridge. The first officers' chair was also vacant, but Counsellor Troi was in place, reading a padd.

She ruthlessly clamped on her own thoughts and feelings, and simply called out with her reported timidity, "Counsellor Troi, I'm here to see Captain Picard?"

Troi began to speak before looking up. "He's in his ready room, on comms to Starfleet C-" She halted, seeing her.

She tried to fake concern, and asked, "Are you alright, Counsellor?"

Troi blinked, then looked at the alcove where the door to the Ready Room was. She visibly swallowed deeply, coughed and then answered, "It's... Nothing. You just look like someone I once met. May I, ask how you know the Captain?"

The material provided by Ri-Q and the background they'd come up with, said she had spent a few months on the _Enterprise_ before her 'first year'. It did not say she had ever met the Counsellor, though if it were real, she could have. And it gave great alibi to her sneaking in a reference to the holodeck prank. Who remembers a single meeting after two, almost two and a half years, with someone very timid who had aged a bit since then, especially in contrast with an outgoing holographic character a mere two months ago?

"You don't recall?" She spoke, that timidity easier to pretend, since she was a little concerned going overboard with the joke. The concern could be passed off as her concerned that Troi might not. "We did meet before. Annika Janeway... the Captain sponsored my entry."

Troi's eyes widened a little, "We did? He did?"

"Yes, Counsellor." She answered simply.

The door to the ready room opening interrupted whatever Troi would have replied with. She turned to see Riker – with a beard. She blinked.

He recognised her, despite that he hadn't seen her, by his personal timeline, for years. Three and a half, or two and a half, either way. He smiled, and greeted, "Cadet." He gave her a quick once-over look, and nodded, "Suits you."

She gulped, and nodded... and offered, "Uh, the beard suits you too?"

He laughed, and gave a quick brush of it with a hand as he moved to his chair. He flicked a look to the ready room doors that had shut before she had responded, "The Captain is still in the middle of a call to Headquarters, you're welcome to wait here." He pointed to the visitors chair either side of him and Troi.

She chose next to Troi.

"No issues with your implants?" Riker asked idly. "I heard there was some trouble recently."

She sighed and frowned a bit. She didn't like the subject matter as it was, so the false story was easy to support. Troi looked clueless, so she somewhat explained, "Some people saw this, and figured I was Borg." She waved a quick hand at her eye, and shrugged. "Never mind that I've had them for just over four years now."

There was a side-effect to 'Ri-Q's meddling beyond her friendship with the Captain, and it seemed from this behaviour, with him, although he hadn't interacted with her as a human until now. She had another friend, who hadn't actually met her, despite remembering otherwise.

"Well, if anyone else insults you, remind them who your legal guardian is. I'm sure Doctor Pulaski would have something to say. Or just call me, I'm sure between the two of us, we can come up with some pranks."

She opened her mouth to reply, then shut it.

"Will!" Troi protested.

"What? Her last one was _hilarious!_ "

She sighed.

Troi looked at her, then at Riker, then back. "What did you do?"

She sighed into her hands, not the impression she'd tried for. She peeked at Riker who just gave her an encouraging nod... but she shook her head and hid her face again.

Riker told anyway. "Remember Professor Moriarty?" Troi nodded with a resigned sigh. She had gotten a lot of incredulous questions over that one, as she had reported 'sensing' the hologram in some way. "Well, I distinctly recall a young Annika Janeway asking all kinds of questions about the incident. And was just as confused as the rest of us that you sensed him. So, she goes to the Academy, thinking how telepathy can sense emotions from computer programs, or at least, computer hardware..." He blinked, "Annika here, left for the Academy right after Ira Graves possessed Data."

Troi sighed at that as well – no biological system for her to read, yet read emotions she had in that case also. She had a feeling she knew what prank he was referring to... or rather, that it was a prank.

"The Captain and I have both kept up with her progress at the Academy." She looked up at him, and then at the viewscreen that simply showed the 'moving star-field' of warp travel. "In her down time on a weekend, she was reported as spending a fair amount of time at the nearby Daystrom Institute's holography research labs. No one knew quite what she was doing, until one of the Academy counselors had spoken about their concern of her lack of friends, and were worried she was getting to be like our own Lieutenant Barclay... But she wasn't, at least... not like that."

Troi sighed. "She was, researching artificial constructs and feelings?"

His lips twitched. "Something like that. She couldn't convince anyone it was genuine though, so no Betazoids came around to test her hypothesis. I promised I'd look it over however." He grinned widely.

She sighed, figuring out why he'd had her do all of that extra work that she hadn't realised wasn't part of her Starfleet courses. She wasn't rehashing all the same courses, there had been a few new ones to her, ones she hadn't taken originally because she had tested as advanced for them already.

Troi sounded _pissed_. "And you decided not to inform me first. That doesn't mean it was her prank. Just... yours."

"I didn't say it was a _success_. It didn't work, you didn't even notice... I tested it a week before... that incident."

"Wait, you mean..."

Annika looked at Troi, resigned, and waved. "Hi, again."

"But... that was a hologram..."

She shrugged. "What you saw was a hologram of me, yes. But I was still there, just, beamed to another part of the ship with the right bit of timing..."

"And what did your instructors say for your missing so much time..." Troi blinked, processing that given their locations around that period, she would have missed a big chunk of time.

"I uh... had help, to not miss any?" Which was true.

Riker looked uncomfortable, and Troi sensed it too. "Will?"

She sighed. "Uh, quick hello, _Number One_?" She spoke loud enough for Troi to hear.

A beardless, younger Riker in the previous uniform flashed onto the bridge, waved a quick hello, then disappeared.

Troi sat back in shock.

With a grin, she decided to 'stir the pot' so to speak. "That day was what, ten years of non stop pranks for you, huh Commander?"

Riker couldn't glare, his lips where twitching revealing his own amusement, "Just wait for my next party trick."

A groan from behind the Captain's Chair had her look up to Worf, who looked a little, pale, and also glaring at Riker. "You sir, are an _irresponsible man-child_."

"Could be worse, Sir." She reminded.

"How?"

"He could be an Irresponsible man-child with no sense of honour." She shrugged. "I have the feeling you've experience with people who seem to be such... whether or not they actually do."

Worf shuddered. "Do not give _him_ the temptation." That he knew she was correct was left unsaid.

Riker was blushing though, as he couldn't deny the truth, on either matter. Troi started to chuckle. "You're right though... I guess it was a hilarious prank. I dread to think what else you could come up with. Either of you. Just please, someone else as your target next time."

Annika looked up at Worf.

"No."

"I wouldn't dare target you... I'm... asking if you want in?"

Troi couldn't help giggling at the thought, Riker closed his eyes as if pained at what Worf would consider a prank, Worf just bared his teeth a moment. "Klingons do not... Prank."

Annika looked shocked. "Since When?! I've lost count the number of times I've witnessed a good prank by a Klingon!"

Riker looked up, and oddly, Worf was embarrassed. "Worf?"

"It is... unbecoming." He muttered out.

She sighed. "You mean yours always failed." Worf looked away, which just got chuckles from Riker and Troi. "Want to talk about it, I'm sure we can figure out why they didn't work?" She was entirely serious with that, though the others found it funny, and even the relief officers at Ops and the Conn were holding in laughter.

That was the scene that greeted Captain Picard.

* * *

 **Stardate 44543 – Tuesday, 18th July 2367  
Starfleet Vessel _USS Enterprise_ , NCC-1701-D  
Transporter Room 3**

She smiled timidly at the gathered senior officers as she stood in the forward spot of the platform, behind her the last batch of cadets ready to beam down. They had already sent down seven groups of six, the Captain, First Officer and Counselor having wished each group good luck in the coming semesters.

The last four and her self made for the last group, because each of them had their own connection to the _Enterprise_ , or to the staff, unlike all of the rest.

Three of the four had family onboard although this was their first time aboard, and had enjoyed the time with their family that they hadn't thought they'd get this year. The fourth had, like herself, been aboard previously, and was going to be resuming his second year. His own entry had been sponsored by his father who was a Captain on a deep-space assignment, and hadn't wanted the danger of that assignment to jeopardise his only immediate family he had left, so sent his son to live with his dead-wifes' sister, a Lieutenant on the _Enterprise_.

The cadet was civil to the Captain, but obviously had difficulties with the Captain's history, as he seemed to also have with her, though nothing was ever said. His father's ship had returned and had been about to put into dock for refit when Captain Picard was assimilated, and the cube headed for Earth. It had been among the ships lost at Wolf 359.

She didn't know his name, and didn't care to ask. He would get over it and introduce himself, or he wouldn't and they would avoid one-another. She'd gotten his story from overhead snippets, and that was enough.

All of the family members that had come to see them off had left before they stepped onto the transporter platform.

"Good luck, all of you."

Riker spoke up, smirking. She felt her stomach drop. "And if you happen to feel the need to prank someone, Cadet Janeway..."

"Don't give Will for ideas!" Troi inserted with a laugh. "He's bad enough without your imagination."

"One time, Counselor." Riker replied back, and their interaction seemed, practised.

"Nineteen times in the last year alone is not-" She groaned, feeling the eyes of four cadets on her neck.

"Commander, Counselor." Picard smoothly put in, as if he hadn't just broken up an argument. He stepped forward, and took her hand, and then grinned. "I will of course, appreciate being your sounding board."

"Sir?" both Troi and Riker spoke up.

Ignoring that he was probably ruining his reputation a little, he quietly but loud enough to be heard by all, spoke, "I myself was something of a prankster during my days at the Academy. One time, I even used the transporters to rearrange one of my fellow cadets' rooms around, turning everything around and even rotating everything around a specific point. It helped that some of them had a habit of closing their eyes as they listened to music, and liked to dance to a beat."

She closed her eyes as she imagined it. Dancing around where you thought your things were, only to encounter them somewhere else... She started to chuckle, only to be startled out of it.

"Wait... so that's what happened to Wesley's room!" Troi blurted out, and giggled. "Just in your Academy days, huh? Ha!"

Picard shut his eyes, 'caught'.

"Thank you for the idea. I know just how to get him, now, sir. Thanks." She grinned.

One of the cadets spoke up, "Oh god, I'll help just to see his reaction."

Annika turned, and saw that it was the only other girl in the group. She sent a timid nod, and got an enthusiastic smile back.

She turned back in time to see Riker sigh up at the heavens, and ask, "Oh what have we unleashed upon the universe."

Captain Picard stepped back, and spoke normally again. "We'll be keeping an ear out for... interesting... events at the Academy. Just... don't make me regret sponsoring you, Cadet Janeway."

Beneath that look of professionalism, she saw the humour, but answered as if she only noticed the warning. "Of course not, sir. I won't let you down."

She felt yet more looks at her neck – none of them had been sponsored by Captain Picard, indeed the only other they knew of was Wesley, who wasn't that well liked at the Academy.

She knew what they were probably thinking, how they were comparing her to Wesley, someone she'd not actually met, but was aware of his reputation aboard ship. He was outgoing, she wasn't. He was serious all the time. They had no idea if she was or not, but given the last minute, probably thought she was only playing timid to avoid suspicion, not that there had been any pranks they'd heard of in the last two years. Wesley was blunt in how smart he was compared to most, though he wasn't actually intentionally condescending. They probably expected her to be subtle with it, and only intentionally, with no indicator at any other time... which fit with the timidity 'cover story'.

"Sir, we have confirmation." The transporter technician spoke up.

He nodded to the group, smiled, and got a nod in return.

"Energize."

* * *

 **Stardate 46370.7 – Friday, 16th May 2369  
Starfleet Academy  
Fourth Year Beta dormitories**

She sat back in the dorm common lounge area, watching as half of the almost-hundred strong class of 2365-B hurried about, some chasing others for hiding a padd, or spare shirt.

She had of course followed Seven of Nine's example, and had everything already organized the night before, with none willing to chance her "temper" in order to prank her like a handful were their classmates. Not that she had a temper, but rather they didn't want to be a target of her sense of humour.

She honestly hadn't been much of a prankster, until meeting Ri-Q.

Each semester was eleven weeks long, except for the last. For those in second year enlisting, third becoming an NCO, and of course fourth year onto an officers commission, their last semester was only seven weeks long. For each such group in second and third, they were split apart from the rest of their year intake group, while the others going on for another year had a regular course load.

The only effect that graduation had on those who had at least another two semesters to go, was that Graduation day, they had the day off from classes, as attendance in Full Dress was required. Each year, a hundred Second years graduated to go on to a posting as an enlisted crewman, around forty as non-commissioned officers, and sixty officers... or at least, those were the average numbers. It took around an hour and a half to go through everyone, although if they tried it at a rush could probably knock that down to under an hour, but to do so in one go would be irritating, so they generally split it into three ceremonies, and also to make it easier to sort out the graduation certificates. It also meant they could add extra information, such as where each person would be assigned to if they had a posting.

The ceremony to graduate the second years to enlisted personnel was due to start at 09:00, with about ten minutes of speech, and blocks of five minutes, where twenty people would be called up, receive their certificate, their assignment announced, get a handshake with whoever was presenting the ceremony, the Commandant of the Academy, and whichever group of four admirals decided to attend, and if present, the Captain of the Starship they were assigned to, which there were only four present for today's ceremonies. Between each block, two minutes to prepare laying out the next twenty certificates to be handed over, and a padd with their assignments, then at the end, a Five minute speech. All told, fifty minutes, with some wiggle room for the larger groups.

The next ceremony, for the third years, or Non-coms, was due to start at 11:00. Another ten minute speech, a five-minute block for ten people be called up, receive a certificate of graduation, as well as certificates pertaining to specific academic achievements, announced their achievements and the assignment, handshakes with the brass, and their rank pinned to their collar. It took longer than the 4-per-minute with the enlisted, simply because of the extra information spoken about each graduate. Between that, five minutes to prepare the certificates – both graduation certificates and academic achievements, and on top of that, the rank pips for non-coms.

The final ceremony for the officers would take the longest, as the about-to-be ensigns had more academic achievements to be spoken about. It would start at 13:00, a fifteen minute speech, and then there'd be a ten minute block for ten people to be called up, receive their graduation certificate and academic achievements, announced and get their assignment, then a handshake from the brass, rank pinned to their collar. Each person took a minute, plus the five minutes between each group, and a ten-minute speech at the end.

Almost two hours.

Then a smaller ceremony, at 16:30, just for all of the new graduates, brass, and visitors attending for the graduates such as friends and family. All in, six hundred people would be attending the smaller ceremony at the end of the day, but the other three would be attended by all of the academy's cadets, over a thousand hundred cadets in all in the audience. Two hundred to 2369-A, 2368-B and 2368-A, the one hundred Officer/NCO cadets to 2368-B and 2367-A, the officer cadets to 2367-B and 2366-A, plus the groups whose ceremony was taking place at a different time, and the Family or friends of those graduating in that ceremony. All told: around twelve hundred and twenty in the audience for the Enlisted graduation, eleven hundred and sixty for the NCO graduation, and eleven hundred and eighty for the officer graduation – using round numbers and two visitors per person, of course.

For those cadets not graduating today, they were simply told to wear their regular red-and-black Duty uniforms. Enlisted would wear the Full Dress Uniform worn by all Starfleet Personnel, from Crewman through NCO and Officers. NCO cadets would however, wear the Cadet Full Dress uniform during attendance of the Enlisted Graduation, while the Officer cadets would be wearing the Cadet Duty Uniform, seated closest to the audience of the graduating cadets. During the NCO graduation,the NCO cadets would likewise be wearing the regular service Full Dress Uniform, with Officer cadets switching to Cadet Full Dress. Officer Graduation, Graduating Officer cadets wear the regular service Dress Uniform.

In other words, the first time a Cadet wears a regular service uniform in place of the cadet uniform, it is the Full Dress Uniform, during their own graduation ceremony.

She had both of her Dress Uniforms prepared, hanging in her locker, and already wore the regular Cadet Duty Uniform, the four gold pips indicating she was a fourth year. The comm-badge was correctly placed, unlike several Cadets she saw running around barefoot trying to find socks, see if any of their room-mates had any clean ones, with badges upside-down or sideways. One even had theirs on the wrong side of the chest.

Even in this age of replicators, Starfleet frowned on simply replicating a new uniform every day, part of the discipline involved at the Academy to discourage such, was that you could only replicate one of each uniform once a semester, and three pairs of socks a month. Properly cared for, it is not unknown nor uncommon for a uniform to pass muster for four semesters. Rarer, five. Current record however, is seven semesters, held by someone who graduated a decade previous, which was when replicators came into general use for more than just food.

Most of the cadets in her Officer graduating class managed to make their Duty Uniform last for three semesters, preferring to wear the Service Jumpsuit when allowed, itself lasting two semesters. Second and third years had the problem that they could wear the jumpsuit a lot more by way of their courses, so struggled to make one semester with them.

Annika herself tended for four semesters for both, and was still with her original Full Dress by way of how often she wears it – which was not often at all, only worn a handful of times.

She did however replicate spare socks and other clothing at the minimum interval time, and recycled any older than six months.

The rest of her things were already packed and waiting to be transported to wherever she was going to spend two weeks holiday, before departing Earth.

"Hey Annika, seen my-"

"I think Tessa has it." She answered quickly to her _partner in crime_ , Sarita Carson, whom she had met two years ago when the Enterprise brought them to Earth. She was also not-so-secretly dating fellow fourth year cadet Tessa Aldridge.

"Thanks."

With that, Sarita disappeared in a rush. As the pace in the common room increased, she sighed and decided to go for a walk.

Outside the building that served for the Fourth Years, she saw a not-very-welcome face heading her way. It wasn't that she didn't like Wesley Crusher, but what she'd heard had prepared her well enough to not immediately hate him, at first.

She knew from rumours on campus surrounding him that he had been held back a year, forced to repeat four semesters. Everyone knew that a fellow cadet had died at that time, during practise runs for a flight demonstration. But the Brass and the cadets involved didn't speak of what happened. And so rumours had spread. Locarno had been booted out, that much was known.

Cadets Sito and Hajar had also been held back, at first, but while Hajar left the Academy a few months later, Sito had seemingly put in the double effort to recover all of her lost course credits and caught up to where the rest of her year intake group where at, and actually overtook them, completing eleven semesters of work in the space of five.

Her record before and after that practice flight run had been exemplary, with that one mark against her. All the effort she had put in because of it though, instead of still having six months to go as she originally would have graduated, nor even the eighteen months if she had just coasted at the expected pace, she was graduating as an Officer early.

Contrast with Wesley Crusher, the Cadet who failed to get into the Academy on the first try despite his intelligence, missed the next entrance exams because he _didn't know about the bi-yearly intake_. Passed the next ones, but missed the Oral Exams, was given a field commission to Ensign, and since someone else took up the last available slot for intake 2367-A, would have had to wait for 2367-B intake afterwards, only to then get into 2366-A. He wasn't the sole cadet who had served as an acting ensign aboard a Starfleet vessel, but since it was the _Enterprise_ , and almost always missed out from 'other issues', the protocols had been bent, when they hadn't for others.

And when he was finally at the Academy? Not even twelve months, and there was an incident, someone lost their life, and whatever happened ended up with a fourth-year Cadet getting kicked out, and the three third-year Cadets demoted to second, which pushed one of the three into quitting.

He didn't quit, but he lost all of the lustre he'd had for becoming a Starfleet Officer. He put in just enough effort to pass his exams, but despite the first four semesters of work being a repeat, and having been top marks the first time around, he wasn't ranked as top, not even average. Just good enough to stick around.

Before the incident, Annika could quite honestly say she had enjoyed pranking him with Sarita. Even using the prank described by Captain Picard. After-ward, though, she had let up. But one semester on, everyone saw it.

And many who had issue with Wesley had thought they'd get away with a lot more than before. Partly as, before Wesley gave as good as he got, except when trying to get her and Sarita back, but now he didn't. Partly because the Brass were no longer paying special attention of the good kind to him.

So Annika had gone the other way. Sure, she made no secret that she disliked him, but she did try to stop any over-the-top pranks that could hurt him. It hadn't taken long for the others to get the message.

"Janeway." He greeted. He wasn't a close friend, so no use of her middle name, private or not. And he wasn't a friend anyway, so not even her first name.

"Crusher." She greeted in turn, raising a single eyebrow. She didn't have Seven's stoicism, though she still tried to mimic her idol/Best Friend.

"So I guess this is it, huh?" He opened, looking up in distaste as one of the dorm room windows opened and allowed the sheer noise to get out.

"Yes. Twelve hours and I'm gone." A badly-timed sock landed on her head. She made no motion that she had noticed. "I'm looking forward to some peace and quiet."

He almost laughed a bit, and just reached to her head and picked the sock off of it. "Any idea where you're headed?"

She hesitated to answer, She wasn't the type to 'rub it in', but they both knew that his chances of getting posted to the Enterprise when he graduates was unlikely. The only way onto that ship was via shore-leave. "Relief Operations, Stellar Cartography and relief shuttle pilot... on the _Enterprise_."

"Bit of a way to go, unless you're going to wait for them to come here? Last I heard from my mom, they were out by the Cardassian Border, dealing with some dispute over Minos Korva, she sounded worried about something, so I guess they won't be here for you, huh?"

She hesitantly had to ask, "When, when did you speak to them?"

"Tuesday, why?"

She looked around, and then directed him to follow her. She led him to a spot secluded from the main paths around the dorm buildings. "Wesley..." She hesitated to say it. Wesley paled. "She's okay, alright?" He nodded, but was still pale. "They're all... in one piece."

"Something happened."

"You can't repeat anything, okay? I shouldn't even know this... but... There was a mission. Classified, top secret. But it was a trap, designed to... to capture the Captain. I know you two were... are... close."

"Is he..."

"He's recovering. He had been held for three days, but during those three..."

"He was tortured." Wesley finished bluntly, toneless but softly.

"Look, physically, he's fine, and looking forward to watching my graduation. If you want, I'll ask the Commandant-"

"Where was he being held?" Wesley asked with a frown.

"Not a word, okay, to anyone. Celtris III."

"When was he rescued?"

"Probably before you talked to your mom, otherwise I doubt she'd have answered since she was on the rescue team... I think."

"Celtris III is around eighty light years away... add in the shortest route to Federation space and then avoiding the Cardassian border, that's a ninety-six light year journey. They need four and a half days just to cross a sector... you do realise he wont be here?"

She just smiled softly, and looking away, spotted him. Captain Picard, but not in his uniform. He had wanted to be here officially, but the mission meant he couldn't be. He didn't want questions asked about how he covered 95 light years and yet the _Enterprise_ still register him aboard, near Minos Korva.

She waved, and _Jean-Luc_ came over, not noticing Wesley given a tree was in their line of sight.

"Naomi." He spoke in greeting, soft and weak but warmly.

"Jean-Luc." She spoke, slightly chiding. Amused, she pointed a thumb at Wesley, "Look what the cat dragged in."

Jean-Luc blinked realising that he'd missed Wesley, even once he'd gotten close enough that the tree no longer had blocked him from view. "Wesley."

"Captain..." Wesley spoke, shocked. Annika was wondering whether it was that he was here, or if it was the lack of uniform that was most shocking. Or that they were on first-name basis. Second name, _second_.

"No, no, just... Jean-Luc." He sent a small mischievous smile at Wesley, "As far as Beverly knows, I'm still recuperating in my quarters on the _Enterprise_..."

"Currently in orbit of Minos Korva." Annika added with a grin, then softly, asked Jean-Luc, "Let me guess, his pranking majesty?"

He nodded. "It is certainly an unforeseen benefit from the incident." He looked at Wesley, and added, "Though recalling it, I do wonder how he could have been so wrong about Wesley's Adult appearance."

"I... I don't..."

Annika shrugged, and then spoke simply. "Ri-Q."

"Huh?"

"Riker... As... a letter. Riker. Ri, and … Ri-Q."

Wesley looked blank.

She waved a hand in the same way that Ri-Q did. "Flash and suddenly things are changed, or elsewhere..." She looked at Picard. "He was there for that, right?"

"Wesley, remember when Commander Riker made you look much older? During our first year on the Enterprise when a particular being gave the Commander the same powers?"

Wesley's eyes widened. "I thought he took them away, or Riker turned them down? You mean he still-"

"No, no, Commander Beard doesn't have the powers." Annika inserted. She grinned. "You do know about the 'time travel' part of the powers, right? For you guys, that was _one day_. For him? For Commander Riker, who is known for his _sense of humour_? The Bearded one is still paying Counselor Troi back for all the pranks she knows he did when he was Ri-Q. Which as the beardless-wonder, he still sort of is? Time travel gives me head-ache."

"But... all those times he could have..."

She figured out his problem immediately.

"Apparently, its the 'Temporal Comedy Directive'. Can't unless its funny."

"Naomi..." Jean-Luc softly chided as he chuckled. "I don't think that's quite the rule."

"Hmmm..." She mock-seriously considered. "Nope. That's the rule. Unless it was that other guy who 'flashed' a group of flamingoes onto the bridge."

"That never happened, and... don't give him ideas." Jean-Luc groaned, face-palming.

" _Time Travel_. Right." She innocently commented.

He sighed. "What happened to that innocent girl who asked me to sponsor her to the Academy?"

She smiled cheekily, and replied, "My mentor and Sponsor told me about the time he used the transporters to mess with an _acting ensign's quarters_ after one-too-many experiments put the ship in danger. Even told me about that prank as if he wanted me to do it, and that he was something of a prankster during his time at the Academy too."

Wesley looked like he needed a reboot.

"Now we've shocked him enough..." She commented, then spoke, "Why don't you two catch up, while I go make sure my fellow future Officers behave like it and actually be ready for the Enlisted Graduation early?"

* * *

 **Authors Note:** -aduate the Academy yet! HEY YOU READ AHEAD! Oh, you don't know what I'm talking about? Scroll back to the top. Apparently someone hit "control+end" while typing these notes out. Oops. Anyway. There are only two people in both the first and last scene. One I love, (I caught myself going 'awe so cute' during this persons scenes with a certain blonde character) and one I find just 'meh', example of how not to do a young person in Star Trek. (Also the character development I didn't like, hence the not-that-good treatment of this persons youth aboard ship...)

Also, I was trying to work out certain things, like how Sito could have graduated long-ago enough from the season 7 episode 'Lower Decks' to be possibly up for promotion, when she and Wesley were in Nova Squadron, while he was not-yet graduated by the penultimate episode of the show... I kind of oopsied while figuring it all out for that. I only realised that Locarno was supposed to be a fourth year (listed as 'first class' on Memory alpha), with Sito as a third year ('second class'), with Wesley as a second year ('third class'). And, well, I goofed, but spotted a goof. See, if he had been placed with the first years during season 4, fine, that places his graduation at the correct time... except that he had to repeat a year, as Sito had also - which was, in her case, stated (but as part of that whole '1,000 stardates do not account for one year blabla' that some writers didn't think about) But in the episode itself, it was their credits for the year that had been removed.

Now, I translated that to this. Wesley was in the same group as Sito, and both were held back a year, but in her case she worked her ass off to get back to where she had been... but ended up surpassing that point to graduate early. He, however, was unsure of his life, he'd looked to being a Starfleet Officer because of his parents and Picard, but hadn't actually thought about his own reasons (yeah yeah ripping his words from Journey's End, but showing it as being already there rather than out of left field... which it sort of wasn't since he'd not appeared proper since the episode with locarno anyway). He did the work, and that was it. So while he was held back a year, he didn't work his ass off to get back. probably the prospect they wouldn't assign him to the Enterprise... while Sito is, because, as I said, she's worked her ASS OFF to not graduate late! And it does help the *two* years since the incident to the episode Lower Decks (not three as stated in that episode), so she's basically, Graduated mid-2369, and a year later is being considered for promotion before _holy shit_ this girls' got something to prove! and that shes worth not being kicked out with Tom Par- I mean Cadet Locarno.

Don't Worry: Next Chapter: Harry Kim, Tal Celes, and what it is she'll be doing between June 2369 and April 2371. Hint: that scene from the first version of my prologue is there but gets extended through a bit more. Also, how she goes from essentially a Starship Operations Officer on the Enterprise, to Construction Worker at U.P. To being aboard the Endeavour (and why), only to go back to Starship Operations. She's always been Starship Operations just adding a hardware side to it, that the Endeavour needs. And to explain a concept that was going to be used for the show, but never went beyond 'it moves, flash. and its the only ship with it.' and a forgotten concept of 'we need to slow down'. Oops. gave the game away.

Side thing, If you noticed me referring to crewman being assigned to a single ship for four years after only two at the academy before leaving starfleet or getting an officers commission, that was a concept I used to explain the gang in good shepard, Tal's youth compared to the rest (even to Harry Kim who was what, 21 when Voyager got dragged to the D.Q.?) and how the gap between graduation for enlisted (november or May) to Voyagers' departure would mean she'd have to be fresh, without being fresh... and then I realised other things and turned Voyagers' Maiden Voyage into 'Sea Trials' (space version of) instead of the trip to Deep Space Nine, and that, yeah, Kim, wasn't also sat on his ass for five months either. so point out any places I said 'four' and not 'one'.The Concept is still four years in starfleet as a crewman, but usually they'll be aboard one particular ship for at least a year, and can be for four years, though they'd get moved around every year or so. So they could serve on three or four ships, with three an average. and three years academy to fit in the NCO's. and yes: every six months, a hundred enlisted personnel enter the fleet, sixty officers and forty NCO's. The latter is a more specific career-specific pool of talent or something, people who aren't interested in the command possibilities with Officers, but higher skilled and other prospects over enlisted. Most just straight-up eventually take a command course and become a full officer before they even reach the level Miles O'Brian did on DS9.

 **Edit Notes:** 22-10-17 - Slight change to the scene at Picards' family home as a sort of jury-rig fix for why not enlisted. Also referred to Kate Pulaski as 'him'. Oops. Also, it wasn't long before the start of the mid-year Academy class that the events of "Unnatural Selection" occurred, and the idea point for Kate to have asked Picard to look after 'Annika Janeway', so in my new canon for those events, (ignoring the stardates of those early episodes unless they match!) those events occured at the start of June, rather than end of June, long enough for her to do final exams and get transport to Earth... if she had been around at that point.

It also dove-tails into the issue of how old someone has to be for entry into Starfleet Academy. The earliest group someone can enter, in my head canon that I'm using here, is the one that starts in the month where they're already sixteen. So, 31st June: July start. 1st July ?: sorry kiddo, you're waiting for the next group in January.

There's an issue that I've just thought about. Size of Starfleet, what that means for starship personnel requirements, and each year, how many they need to actually replace. Some estimates guess Starfleet must be in the tens of thousands of ships. Fine. given the high registries of new ships, and the low registries of ships still in service, lets say there are around thirty thousand vessels in the fleet. With crew sizes varying between fifty for the Defiant, eighty for Nova and Saber classes, through the medium sizes like the Ambassador at five hundred, and then you have the Excelsior at seven hundred, Sovereign also, and Galaxy at a thousand... which is probably including civilians though. But lets make it easier on replacement requirements, by saying that the _average_ is around two hundred and fifty. That is seven point five million people just on the starships. Then there's the personnel requirements for stations such as Starbase 74 - a Spacedock type facility of almost 11 _kilometres_ in height, or _two thousand and eight hundred decks_. And the widest part is _eight thousand seven hundrded_ metres. Estimates put it at _eighty-five thousand_. Even smaller stations like Starbase 375 have crews on the order of five thousand. Lets say that the Spacedock-style are rare - we know of _three. So... ten._ Ten out of hundreds of Starbases. There's eight hundred and fifty thousand. Then there's the five thousand per regular-sized Starbase, which given some of the numbers, hovers maybe around the five hundred mark, though some are larger like Starbase 375, some smaller. that still brings Starfleet to almost eleven _million_ personnel. Up that to include people assigned to Starfleet Headquarters, the _staff_ of the Academies I propose, and the many non-starbase facilities. Lets just sit it at twelve million and move on.

Twelve Million, to be replaced over the course of the average length of service. Which is, what? We know from certain sources that _Pavel Chekov_ is still going strong. But he's an outlier. So be reasonable, say _sixty-five years_ is the average length of service. Two hundred thousand people to replace each year. And the San Francisco Academy according to this fic, only graduates two hundred every six months. At such sizes for an Academy, there needs to be _five hundred_ of them. So... there is. But not quite so many, its just that there are plenty of Academy campuses that turn out more than four hundred a year. There are plenty that turn out a thousand per year - five hundred biannual.

This brings to another issue of size of the _federation_ , is how many planets are in the federation. Easy answer: a hundred and fifty... more difficult answer, however, to fit a quote from the original series: _thousands_. simplest view is that the one-fifty picard said to Lilly in First Contact refers to _core worlds_ , or at least, Full Membership worlds. Bajor was on its way to becoming this during DS9. But what about colony worlds of the various species originating from that one-fifty? Bajorans do have colony worlds. We've seen them in TNG. Are they considered part of the Federation?

Anyway, so lets say each Core world, as part of being 'full members', host at least one or two campuses of the Academy, with colonies that are members feeding those academies for personnel. Earth, as the 'capital', has _seven_. Six of those academies provide around six hundred people each. Thats four thousand a year. The 'biggest' core worlds have more. Nine worlds have five, twenty have four, thirty have three, fifty have two, forty have one. Three hundred and sixty two. Average per academy would be _five hundred and fifty_. So having a biannual class size of two hundred to three hundred... manageable. My high school had almost two hundred students in each year, and ran for five years. A thousand concurrent students on that small area? And the town had _four high schools_ no more than two miles apart.I think Starfleet Academy having massive campuses, serving eight concurrent biannual groups of around two hundred - so just shy of two-thousand - per campus is more than reasonable. Some Academies in this would be smaller, some bigger. It's just that the one in San Francisco, given the proximity to Starfleet Command, is for the 'best and brightest', the ones most likely to become 'big names' in Starfleet. It... kind of throws a bigger light on the Locarno issue, too, doesn't it?


End file.
